subject: Settlements Are Being Made To Zimmer Durom Cup Patients [print this page] During 2006 and 2007, 12,000 Americans had hip replacement surgery and had a Zimmer Durom Cup implanted in one or both hips. Since that time, almost 6% of these devices have failed. Patients have complained of a great deal of pain after they should have been completely healed, and doctors have found that their hip implants have become loose or even migrated from where they should be. Because of these problems, patients are facing expenses caused by extra medical costs and a loss of wages. Zimmer has not come out and admitted its liability, but as patients file lawsuits against them, they have been making some settlements.
Although Zimmer has been accused of reacting to the problems too slowly and not accepting the liability for the failed implants as they should, in October, 2008 they did announce that they had set aside a fund of $47.5 million to pay lawsuit claims. They are still adamant that their research showed no defects in the product. Many physicians still aren't convinced. Zimmer took the Durom Cup off of the American market in July, 2008 and then reinstated it the next month along with an online training program which doctors must complete prior to being able to do hip replacements surgeries using the cup again. Half of all the doctors involved declined the offer saying that taking the training would be a waste of their time. Through all of this, everyone has had a lot of stress to deal with, especially the hundreds of patients with defective Durom Cups who are awaiting further surgery.
There's no doubt that these unfortunate patients deserve some kind of restitution for everything they've been going through. However, product liability attorneys don't feel that Zimmer is giving them a fair shake. Even though people are getting settlements that seem to be a lot of money, what they're actually being given is only a fraction of what the case may end up being worth. When people see an offer for what seems to them to be a substantial amount of money, they settle quickly. Zimmer is taking advantage of this fact. In actuality, these people may eventually be out thousands of dollars, because no one knows what problems they are going to face in the future.
If you think you might have a claim against Zimmer, it won't hurt to find out for sure. Contact your doctor to find out what brand of implant was used in your surgery. If you find out that it was a Durom Cup and you've been having problems, you can then call 1-866-374-0338 to find out if you qualify to file a lawsuit against the manufacturer. This number will connect you with a national law firm that specializes in litigation against medical product defects, the Johnson Law Firm. This firm has set up a special division just to handle the many Zimmer lawsuits that are being filed and will be happy to help you. Of course, you can choose to hire a local law firm that handles product liability cases, too.
If you've been having pain and trouble getting around due to your hip replacement, talk to your doctor about it. He may tell you that you'll need revision surgery to correct a problem with the implant. If this happens, contact a medical product liability lawyer immediately. This attorney will then make sure that everything is fully documented about your case and your revision so that you can be sure to get the settlement you deserve. If you don't involve an experienced attorney, you stand to lose thousands of dollars that you are entitled to, so don't take that chance.
Once you've determined that you have a valid case against Zimmer, it's going to take some time to receive a settlement. Your lawyer will want to make sure that he's covered all of your bases and is getting you the maximum amount he can in settlement. Trying to rush your case through will only end up with you getting a settlement that is too small, so be patient.
